§ 1510. — Obstruction of criminal investigations.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 18USC1510]
TITLE 18--CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
PART I--CRIMES
CHAPTER 73--OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE
Sec. 1510. Obstruction of criminal investigations
(a) Whoever willfully endeavors by means of bribery to obstruct,
delay, or prevent the communication of information relating to a
violation of any criminal statute of the United States by any person to
a criminal investigator shall be fined under this title, or imprisoned
not more than five years, or both.
(b)(1) Whoever, being an officer of a financial institution, with
the intent to obstruct a judicial proceeding, directly or indirectly
notifies any other person about the existence or contents of a subpoena
for records of that financial institution, or information that has been
furnished to the grand jury in response to that subpoena, shall be fined
under this title or imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both.
(2) Whoever, being an officer of a financial institution, directly
or indirectly notifies--
(A) a customer of that financial institution whose records are
sought by a grand jury subpoena; or
(B) any other person named in that subpoena;
about the existence or contents of that subpoena or information that has
been furnished to the grand jury in response to that subpoena, shall be
fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.
(3) As used in this subsection--
(A) the term ``an officer of a financial institution'' means an
officer, director, partner, employee, agent, or attorney of or for a
financial institution; and
(B) the term ``subpoena for records'' means a Federal grand jury
subpoena or a Department of Justice subpoena (issued under section
3486 of title 18), for customer records that has been served
relating to a violation of, or a conspiracy to violate--
(i) section 215, 656, 657, 1005, 1006, 1007, 1014, 1344,
1956, 1957, or chapter 53 of title 31; or
(ii) section 1341 or 1343 affecting a financial institution.
(c) As used in this section, the term ``criminal investigator''
means any individual duly authorized by a department, agency, or armed
force of the United States to conduct or engage in investigations of or
prosecutions for violations of the criminal laws of the United States.
(d)(1) Whoever--
(A) acting as, or being, an officer, director, agent or employee
of a person engaged in the business of insurance whose activities
affect interstate commerce, or
(B) is engaged in the business of insurance whose activities
affect interstate commerce or is involved (other than as an insured
or beneficiary under a policy of insurance) in a transaction
relating to the conduct of affairs of such a business,
with intent to obstruct a judicial proceeding, directly or indirectly
notifies any other person about the existence or contents of a subpoena
for records of that person engaged in such business or information that
has been furnished to a Federal grand jury in response to that subpoena,
shall be fined as provided by this title or imprisoned not more than 5
years, or both.
(2) As used in paragraph (1), the term ``subpoena for records''
means a Federal grand jury subpoena for records that has been served
relating to a violation of, or a conspiracy to violate, section 1033 of
this title.
(Added Pub. L. 90-123, Sec. 1(a), Nov. 3, 1967, 81 Stat. 362; amended
Pub. L. 97-291, Sec. 4(e), Oct. 12, 1982, 96 Stat. 1253; Pub. L. 101-73,
title IX, Sec. 962(c), Aug. 9, 1989, 103 Stat. 502; Pub. L. 102-550,
title XV, Sec. 1528, Oct. 28, 1992, 106 Stat. 4065; Pub. L. 103-322,
title XXXII, Sec. 320604(c), title XXXIII, Sec. 330016(1)(K), Sept. 13,
1994, 108 Stat. 2119, 2147; Pub. L. 104-191, title II, Sec. 248(c), Aug.
21, 1996, 110 Stat. 2020.)
Amendments
1996--Subsec. (b)(3)(B). Pub. L. 104-191 which directed the
insertion of ``or a Department of Justice subpoena (issued under section
3486 of title 18),'' after ``subpoena'', was executed by making the
insertion after ``subpoena'' the second place it appeared to reflect the
probable intent of Congress.
1994--Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103-322, Sec. 330016(1)(K), substituted
``fined under this title'' for ``fined not more than $5,000''.
Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 103-322, Sec. 320604(c), added subsec. (d).
1992--Subsec. (b)(3)(B)(i). Pub. L. 102-550 substituted ``1344,
1956, 1957, or chapter 53 of title 31'' for ``or 1344''.
1989--Subsecs. (b), (c). Pub. L. 101-73 added subsec. (b) and
redesignated former subsec. (b) as (c).
1982--Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 97-291 struck out ``, misrepresentation,
intimidation, or force or threats thereof'' after ``bribery'', and
struck out provision applying the penalties provided by this subsection
to whoever injured any person in his person or property on account of
the giving by such person or any other person of any information
relating to a violation of any criminal statute of the United States to
any criminal investigator.
Effective Date of 1982 Amendment
Amendment by Pub. L. 97-291 effective Oct. 12, 1982, see section
9(a) of Pub. L. 97-291, set out as an Effective Date note under section
1512 of this title.
Section Referred to in Other Sections
This section is referred to in sections 1961, 2516, 3142 of this
title; title 29 section 1111.
